DER-2-385: deer hunt in Unit 49, Sep 1-24
DER-2-385 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 49, September 1 to 24, with 105 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). In the 2026 draw, 247 applicants chose it first and 79 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 105 licenses sold, 99 hunters reporting, a 37% success rate, 35 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landTribal landUnit 49Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Bow |
| Dates | September 1 to 24 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 49 |
| Licenses | 105 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 247 (79 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 37% success, 35 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 79.9% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-385?
247 applicants chose DER-2-385 first in the 2026 draw and 79 drew it on that choice, 32% of them. 105 of the 105 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 250 first-choice applicants and 84 drawn on first choice. These are NMDOW's results for those draws, not a forecast.
| Pool, 2026 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 224 | 164 | 133 | 68 | 94 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 18 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| All applicants | 247 | 177 | 148 | 79 | 105 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 233 | 144 | 123 | 79 | 98 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 16 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 250 | 153 | 137 | 84 | 105 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-385?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-385, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 37% (2025-26), from 99 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 105 in 2023-24 to 105 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-385 (15 in 2025-26); they have their own column and are not counted in the drawn hunt's results.
| Season | Bag | Dates | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does | Days hunted, average | Hunter satisfaction, 1 to 5 | Private-land licenses, same code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | FAD | 9/1-9/24 | 105 | 99 | 37% | 35 | 0 | 7.5 | 3.6 | 15 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 105 | 96 | 33% | 28 | 0 | 7.2 | 3.5 | 9 (3 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 105 | 100 | 35% | 33 | 0 | 7.6 | 3.7 | 7 (2 bucks, 0 does) |
Source: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report, NMDGF 2024-25 deer harvest report and NMDGF 2023-24 deer harvest report and earlier NMDOW deer harvest reports.
How does DER-2-385 compare with the other Unit 49 deer hunts?
DER-2-385 is one of 3 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 49 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 3 drawn ones (247). Its 2025-26 success rate, 37%, was the 3rd highest of the 3 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 49 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 79.9% public land (217,129 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-385 have?
NMDOW lists 105 licenses for DER-2-385 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 105 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-385?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-385 a 37% success rate, from 99 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 33% to 37%.
How many people applied for DER-2-385 in 2026?
572 applicants listed DER-2-385 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 247 chose it first and 79 of those drew it, 32% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 250 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-385?
Yes. Nonresidents draw from the 6% of licenses set aside for them, or the 10% for applicants with a registered outfitter (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 18).